1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical communication equipment and, more specifically, to optical add/drop multiplexers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern optical communication systems, e.g., long-haul and metro networks, employ dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) channels adapted to carry optical signals having a bit rate of 10 Gb/s. It is envisioned that future optical communication systems will employ DWDM channels adapted to carry signals having a bit rate of 40 Gb/s. 40-Gb/s optical signals, based on conventional and/or advanced modulation formats, are likely to be used together with 10-Gb/s optical signals and/or gradually displace the latter. It is therefore desirable to have a communication platform that supports both 10- and 40-Gb/s optical signals and enables reconfiguration of the optical communication system, e.g., when a 40-Gb/s upgrade becomes available, without or with minimum interruptions to the 10-Gb/s service already in place.